Utility Week

Customers 24 | 14TH - 20TH DECEMBER 2018 | UTILITY WEEK Customers living in the South West are paying more for their heating than anywhere else in the UK during the winter, according to research from MoneySuperMarket. By analysing temperature data for each location in December 2017, January 2018 and February 2018, MoneySuperMarket determined an average winter temperature ENERGY Customers in the South West 'paying more for their heating' and paired this with energy spend and usage. In total, 118 locations in the UK were analysed. It found that the average UK household pays £3.34 per degree Celsius heated every month. However, the South West pays considerably more, with nine locations making it into the top ten – up to 9 per cent more than the average. Analysis from the price comparison website found that in Truro, Cornwall, customers will pay an average of £16.35 more to heat their home during December, January and February – more than any other area in the UK. The City of London comes in at second place and is the only place outside the South West in the top ten, with customers pay- This week Yorkshire: 'We want frank discussion' Yorkshire Water is to fully disclose data on water levels and weather to better inform customers Yorkshire Water said it will become the first water company to regularly publish full data on its water resources to enable cus- tomers to see how the weather impacts demand. The company is also teaming up with the Environment Agency to run a campaign based on the information, which aims to help Yorkshire residents make more informed choices about their water use. Recent customer research by Yorkshire Water sug- gested customers "strongly prefer" to be provided with information and asked to play a part in conserving water, rather than have enforced restrictions. Water resources data, which includes detailed information on reservoir, river and groundwater levels, customer demand, rainfall and the outputs of the com- pany's water treatment works, is usually shared only with the Environment Agency. In a bid to be more transparent with customers and have a "straightforward conversation with them", York- shire Water plans to publish a "customer friendly" ver- sion on its website. A full report will also be published through Data Mill North as part of Yorkshire Water's open data initiative. Yorkshire has experienced below average rainfall in five of the six months to the end of October and reservoir stocks currently stand at 56 per cent below the level normally expected at this time of year. Richard Flint, chief executive at Yorkshire Water, said: "We hope that making our full water situation report available will allow customers to use the informa- tion to make their own decisions about the action they can take to conserve water at home." KP ENERGY Collective trial increases switches Customers taking part in Ofgem's collective switching trial, who received multiple com- munications, were eight times more likely to switch than those who did not, the final results have revealed. The overall switching rate in the trial was 22.4 per cent, more than eight times higher than the rate of switching in the third group of participants who did not receive additional communications. Participating customers were randomised into three trial arms: an Ofgem arm, which received letters from Ofgem and Energy- helpline; a supplier arm, which received letters from their sup- plier and Energyhelpline; and a control group, which received no additional communications. The most successful arm of the trial, the supplier arm, increased switching rates to ten times that of the control group. The results conclude that the first two trial arms saw a significant increase in switching compared with the control group and that intervention had a "clear and substantial impact". The trial was launched in response to a Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) inves- tigation that found there was an adverse effect on competition in the retail energy market. The collective switch trial ran between February and April and involved 50,000 disengaged customers from an unnamed "large supplier", later revealed to be Scottish Power. ENERGY Economy Energy has 'no intention of closing its doors' Economy Energy has assured customers it has "no intention" of closing its doors, following speculation the company might be in financial difficulty. Ofgem recently announced that the supplier was under investigation and was one of 14 suppliers that had failed to pay its Renewables Obligation (RO) payments by the 31 October late payment deadline. Economy was shown to owe £15,650,999.63 in RO payments and £1,413,304.97 in RO Scotland payments. In a statement published on its website, it said: "In response to the recent speculation and circulating misinformation, we would like to provide assurance that we at Economy Energy have no intention of closing our doors. "We will pay our outstanding RO obligation in full, business will continue as usual for our customers." According to Companies House, Economy Energy has extended its accounting refer- ence period from the end of March to the end of September. The company's next set of results is now due by 30 June 2019. Yorkshire Water reservoir levels low ing £15.03 higher than average. Taunton is third with £14.04, followed by Plymouth (£13.43) and Torquay (£12.91). The data also revealed the top ten cheapest locations for winter bills. Harrow in London has the lowest predicted winter bill at £161.88, approximately £15.87 less than the average consumer and £32.22 less than Truro.

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